UK Man Files Mesothelioma Lawsuit Against British Government

October 30, 2010

Leigh, England A former coal worker in the UK has filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against the government, claiming he contracted the deadly cancer as a result of his work for the National Coal Board.



Benjamin Derbyshire received his diagnosis of mesothelioma earlier this year, according to Wigan Today. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. It attacks the thin membrane that lines the chest, abdomen and many of the body's internal organs.



In his mesothelioma lawsuit, Derbyshire claims his cancer was caused by the asbestos exposure he endured at the Bickershaw Colliery in Wigan during the 1950s while working for the National Coal Board.



Derbyshire's mesothelioma lawyer said that asbestos-related diseases can take decades to manifest symptoms.



"As the delay between exposure to asbestos fibers and the onset of symptoms of mesothelioma can be 10 years or more, there are many other workers like Mr Derbyshire, who are only now receiving the distressing news that their health has been affected," she said.



In addition to malignant mesothelioma, asbestos exposure can cause asbestosis and lung cancer.